1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disposable stethoscope shields and more particularly pertains to a new disposable stethoscope shield for facilitating application of a protective membrane to the stethoscope.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of disposable stethoscope shields is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,971 describes a device for applying a plurality of shields to a stethoscope and allowing one shield to be peeled away after each use to prevent disease transmission between patients. Another type of disposable stethoscope shield is U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,187 for providing a diaphragm for the stethoscope that can be readily removed and discarded and replaced with a new diaphragm.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that has certain improved features allowing for the protective membrane to be applied easily with minimal contact between the doctor and the protective membrane. Such a membrane is preferably positionable on stethoscopes to not only prevent contamination between patients but also allows for less heat transfer between the patient and the stethoscope so that the stethoscope feels relatively less cold to the patient.